


Eureka Outtakes

by Jedi Buttercup (jedibuttercup)



Series: EUReKA: It's an Episode Tag! [4]
Category: Eureka
Genre: Challenge Response, Character of Color, Episode Tag, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Friendship, Gen, Introspection, Missing Scene, Romance, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-16
Updated: 2011-09-22
Packaged: 2017-10-10 14:32:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 14,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/100814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedibuttercup/pseuds/Jedi%20Buttercup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing scenes and tag scenes from Eureka Season 4.  Spoilers through the entire season.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Looking On Tempests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _He should have been more careful what he asked for_.  
> -Henry POV, for 4.01 "Founders' Day".

Henry stared at the little metal circle the woman had dropped in his hand, completely taken aback. Smooth, golden in both color and metal, warm from being held close to her body: there was no question what it was, despite the fact that he'd never worn one in his life. A wedding ring.

_Don't forget this_, she'd said. As though it were habit for her to keep it in her pocket for him while they worked. As though her Henry _had_ forgotten it, at least once, in the past-- implying that the arrangement had been going on for awhile. And lest there be some confusion about them being only coworkers, that he might be married to someone else-- she'd kissed him, a casual, comfortable peck on the lips, and asked if she'd see him later at 'home'.

He was _married_ to that woman. That-- Grace. Why? _How_? He barely even knew her! Before that little bout of accidental time travel, the only thing they'd had in common had been the 1947 Chrysler she'd borrowed from the Eureka Museum for the town's sixtieth Founders' Day anniversary. The same Chrysler she'd just been working under-- wearing a stained, age-worn pair of coveralls labeled with her name and the name of his garage. She clearly believed she belonged in this place, _this_ space, that for so long had been Henry's alone.

He remembered complaining to Jack just that morning: 'if only there were two of me.' He should have been more careful what he asked for. Two Drs. Deacon: it boggled the mind. Or... were there? Had she taken his name, or was she still a Monroe? He'd never cared one way or the other on the subject, unlike Jason, who'd taken real pleasure in stamping his own name all over his wife and her research.

_Kim_.

How could Henry have married anyone who wasn't Kim? He'd never really thought of himself as a _romantic_, but there was a part of him that truly believed that love was never-ending; that it 'altered not when it alteration found'. Not when separated by a jealous man with a memory modification device; not when parted again by death; not when divided a third time by the well-meaning act of a friend. He worked on the data that would be her monument every day; he had no room left over, not yet, to give to any other woman.

How could this timeline's Henry have been any different? For him to have come to Eureka at all he must still have been the same frustrated idealist who'd made himself persona non grata in politically sensitive scientific circles; without Nathan's offer to join this isolated think-tank of a community, there was no telling where Henry would have ended up after leaving NASA. And if this other Henry had had the same heart, how could he have put Kim behind him so easily?

...Could it have been an external difference, not a change in himself? Henry swallowed hard as the thought occurred to him: had this timeline's Henry Deacon never lost Kim at all? Had he never even discovered that Kim Yamazaki had once been his to lose in the first place, before Jason Anderson had stolen Henry's project and used it to take his place in Kim's life?

...Could this timeline's Kim still be _alive?_

Henry found himself balking at that thought. If she _was_... and if the timeline they'd come back to was stable, unlike the one Jack had been forced to destroy two years ago....

Henry let a slow breath out and clenched his hand around the ring. No; he couldn't allow himself to think that way. He wasn't _that guy_ anymore. The raging idealist had learned a little pragmatism over the course of those four unwound years, not to mention his experiences afterward: earning vengeance for Kim's death, saving the life of a friend's child, betraying another friend, and losing a former student to a ridiculously improbable malfunction of a temporal project. It might be clichéd, but it was true: great power-- and great opportunity-- meant great responsibility. He'd always believed that; and Jack had reminded him of it at great cost to them both. He couldn't allow himself to forget the lesson again.

So many questions. No answers. And an extremely thorny knot to untangle. Grace was waiting for him; and afterward, he'd see the other four time travelers again at the Founders' Day celebration. They'd have to share stories, find out how many other lives had changed in similarly dramatic ways, and try to track those changes back to a single source.

He would not be part of the problem again.

Henry weighed the ring in his hand once more, then sighed, slid it on, and headed out to become part of the solution.

\---


	2. Questions With No Good Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _It was going to give him a headache, if he thought about it much longer_.  
> -Jack POV, for 4.02 "A New World".

Jack understood why Allison didn't want their old world back. He really did. To someone who'd always seen Kevin's autism as a prison trapping her child inside, a fresh start without that hindrance would seem like a miracle. He'd picked that up clear enough over the course of the long year the Artefact had affected the kid, not that he'd understood what was going on most of that time. But Allison was deluding herself if she thought the six time travelers could keep their secret to themselves, long term.

Kevin just thought his mother had got a little clingy, so far. But he _had_ noticed _something_ was up. As had several of the other geniuses orbiting their lives. They were lucky Fargo's accidental positronic lightning storm had distracted everyone long enough for the dislocated group to begin piecing their new histories together, not to mention that Sherriff Andy's memory had been wiped before he could tell anyone else what he'd discovered. Tess wasn't likely to let Jack's hesitation fly for much longer; and it had to be even weirder for Henry, what with his unexpected new wife.

Jack didn't know what he was going to say when Tess came back in the morning to discuss moving into the bunker. How was he supposed to feign not having any doubts, when as far as he was concerned they'd just spent several months proving that he couldn't make her happy? How long before Grace realized that her husband's memory was full of holes when it came to their relationship? How long before Jo's understandably raw emotions, Fargo's lack of experience, and Allison's overcompensation would trip them up in their positions at G.D.? Or Zane or Vince or any of the other people they'd said weird things to began to put clues together?

And that wasn't even _touching_ on the matter of Dr. Grant. Jack wasn't about to forgive and forget, not after what the guy had tried to do to him-- but _sanction_ was such an ugly word. He couldn't abandon _anyone_ to that, even if there was a way to ensure Grant wouldn't be able to take the other travelers down with him. Which meant Jack was going to have to do something else that went against the grain: aid and abet a fugitive- to the tune of getting the others to help him set up ID, residence, employment, bank account, and other records of a modern life. _Something_ had to be done to anchor the guy in the present before his unexplained existence tripped alarms at the D.O.D.

Maybe S.A.R.A.H. could help; Jack was fairly sure they could swear _her_ to secrecy, between his status as her owner and Fargo's as her original programmer. Once he opened that Pandora's box of information, though, there'd be no closing it again. What other changes were lurking in this new timeline to ambush him unawares?

For example, who had survived in this world that died in the other? Who had died that he remembered saving? Who'd left town? Or had arrived to befriend a Sherriff Jack Carter that no longer existed? Whose roles were different, besides the ones he'd already discovered?

It was going to give him a headache, if he thought about it much longer. But it couldn't be avoided. _Lives_ were at stake, which left Jack in a very familiar place for this town: out of his depth, facing impossible odds, not sure who he could count on-- yet determined to succeed.

Call it 'Operation Fake It 'Til You Make It'... and he'd better begin as he meant to go on.

\---


	3. Within The Bending Sickle's Compass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _It was the things he didn't say, too_.  
> -Grace POV, for 4.03 "All The Rage".

Grace sighed, staring down at the array of worn tools spread across Henry's workbench. Her practical joke had served its purpose; more than served it, given how worried her husband had obviously been by its effects. He'd been shaken up enough that he hadn't even questioned her on how exactly she had pulled it off; and that, more than anything else about his strange behavior over the last several days, had lodged in her thoughts like a rock in a stream and had been piling up more debris ever since.

It wasn't just that he'd started keeping her out of his projects, asking her questions he should already know the answers to, and responding hesitantly, when he did at all, to her touch. Or the fact that he'd apparently forgotten their little habit of pranking each other-- which had been one of their substitutes for flirtation from the very beginning. Or even the fact that he seemed continually surprised at her brilliance in the first place, ever since the Founders' Day celebration. It was the things he _didn't_ say, too; like that night, when he should have asked her how Tess was doing after Jack's decision.

In ordinary circumstances, she and Dr. Fontana might not have become friends; they didn't work on the same projects, or move in the same social circles. After weeks of working together off and on while their men chased after the latest disaster, however, they'd discovered they actually had a lot in common beyond the compulsively heroic nature of their significant others. Tess was an optimist, and a brilliant scientist with a creative mind; she and Grace had had some very productive conversations about their pet theories, nevermind Eureka's crises du jour. And they'd both been glad to have someone to talk to not so involved in the politics of Global Dynamics.

It was Grace that Tess had gone to when she was first offered the job in Australia several months back; she'd wanted the perspective of a woman who knew Jack but wasn't completely biased, and Grace had been happy to help her list the pros and cons. And it was Tess that Grace vented to about Henry's persistent bachelor's habits; they'd laughed about the very tools Grace had pranked more than once. They'd hosted Allison's baby shower together, and Henry knew exactly how often Tess was invited to dinner, with or without her boyfriend.

Or-- he _should_. Grace wasn't so sure he did, anymore. His friendship with Jack seemed as intact as ever, and she'd spotted him talking with several of Global's other notables since the celebration. But _all_ of those he still seemed close to had broken long-established patterns of behavior in recent days. And then there was Dr. Grant-- whose arrival in town coincided with the changes.

She wasn't sure what had happened, yet. She wasn't even sure she wanted to know; not if it meant she might lose Henry in the process. But she couldn't help noticing the evidence, any more than she could help loving her husband.

The worst part was, despite whatever secret it was that kept him up at nights and drew him into side projects he didn't want her help on-- that had apparently scrambled his memories and convinced him not to trust her-- he was still the same Henry as ever. The same trustworthy, brilliant idealist she'd won over with grease and schematics and coffee at Café Diem. So how could she miss someone so fiercely who was still right in front of her?

The same way Tess had found herself packing her things for Australia, Grace suspected.

She swallowed and pressed her palm against the tools, one by one, activating the heat-sensitive trigger to send them back to their box. She'd leave them that way just a little longer, she thought; it would keep her at the forefront of his mind even when she wasn't around. Tess may have made the best choice she could for _her_, but for her part, Grace was _not_ going to give up so easily.

Henry was her _husband_. And if he'd forgotten what that meant? She'd just have to remind him why he'd chosen her, all over again.

\---


	4. Facing the Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _She was starting to realize that this timeline had just as many problems as the old one._   
> -Allison POV, for 4.04 "The Story of O2".

Allison paused just inside the door of Café Diem, casting an eye over the tables in hopes of catching Dr. Ramsey there alone. She'd already apologized to Kevin for surreptitiously boosting his rocket, and she thought they were okay again for now; but she wasn't anticipating such an easy conversation with the scientist whose formula she'd borrowed.

She didn't know what she'd been thinking when she'd taken it. She knew just how much time and money went into making even so small a sample as the one he'd brought to show off at the rocket launch; and while the Mars Colonization Habitat project was a massive undertaking encompassing several scientists and a budget large enough to absorb the expense of remanufacturing the half-liter of TAPF she'd lifted, that didn't change the fact that she had committed a criminal act. She'd just been so worried about Kevin being disappointed-- she supposed she _hadn't_ been thinking. And then she'd concealed and lied about her involvement, even after Zane came in with hypoxia and she began to realize that her little indiscretion was turning into a very big problem.

Nathan would have been so disappointed in her, she thought with a sigh as she finally spotted Dr. Ramsey at a corner table. And she didn't even want to think about what Carter would say when he found out. Jack had always been more supportive of her than she had any right to expect, and she was grateful for that; but even he had his limits.

Ah, well. She'd worry about that when he got back from his trip to see Zoe. In the meantime, she had a little groveling to do.

Allison picked up two Vinspressos at the counter, then made her way over to Dr. Ramsey's table. He glanced up at her, an uncharacteristically sullen mood darkening his features, and didn't even crack a smile when she slid one of the drinks across the table to him with a contrite expression.

"Unless that's filled with a replacement 522ml of TAP fluid, that's not going to do me much good," he said, not bothering to reach for the paper cup.

Allison bit her lip. "Dr. Ramsey, I am so sorry," she began. "I don't know what came over me. I just-- Kevin was having some problems with his test burns, and I heard what your TAP fluid could do...." She trailed off, looking down at her own cup. "I know that's not an excuse. I just hope my actions haven't set you back too badly."

"Set me back?" Ramsey echoed, incredulously. "Dr. Blake, they're going to _cancel my project_. General Mansfield said it's too 'potentially catastrophic' to produce any more TAPF on Earth, even though it's _totally harmless_ without the activation trigger. The Colonization team will be back to the dome drawing board, even though it's obvious the materials requirements are going to be prohibitive. That's _months_ of effort and _millions_ of dollars down the tubes."

Allison looked up again, completely taken aback by both the bitterness in his tone, and by what he was saying. "But surely Dr. Fargo...?" she began, tentatively.

Ramsey snorted. "Yeah, and we all know who made him boss. Spare me, Dr. Blake; now that General Mansfield's made his opinion clear, I might as well get to work on my redaction papers."

"Dr. Ramsey... I..." Allison swallowed. "I don't know what to say."

Ramsey made a face, then reached out to finally pick up his coffee. "Sorry's a start," he muttered, turning the cup around in his hands. Then he sighed. "I know you didn't mean for things to go wrong the way they did. But it's just so-- _bogus_. My team will be the ones to pay for it, and it wasn't even our fault."

Allison winced. "If there's anything I can do-- put in a word for you with the General--"

He shook his head. "No, thanks. I think you've done enough already." He grimaced, then pushed back his chair to leave-- and paused for a second, gesturing awkwardly with the cup. "Uh, thanks for the coffee, though," he said, then turned and made his way toward the door.

Allison dropped her head in her hands as he left, leaning forward to brace her elbows on the table. _That_ had gone well. He was right; he shouldn't pay for her mistakes. If she were back in the old Eureka-- in any of her roles in the old Eureka-- she'd have been in on the critical briefings and decisions, able to mitigate the fallout in all but the most extreme cases. In this Eureka, she was limited to her influence on Fargo.

Things had seemed so _perfect_ in this reality at first; it had been a miracle, seeing Kevin as a happy, normal teenager. She still wouldn't trade it for anything, but-- she was starting to realize that this timeline had just as many problems as the old one. Just different ones. Her son might be fine, but she had no idea how to relate to him, and she had lost most of her professional power; she couldn't afford to be so careless about consequences.

She'd just lectured Jo earlier that day about letting her feelings for the other Zane affect her judgment. She should have dealt with the plank in her own eye, first.

Allison sighed and picked up her coffee, then headed for home.

\---


	5. Clearing the Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _There was no sense tying himself in knots over what might have been's or what could be's._  
> -Jack POV, for 4.05 "Crossing Over".

Jack knocked lightly against the half open door of Henry's garage, then pushed it further open and craned his neck inside, looking around for his friend.

It looked like his timing had been good, for once; Henry stood in the empty space where he and Grant had reconstructed the Einstein Bridge, arms folded across his chest and head dipped toward the floor in a posture of deep thought.

Yeah; Jack knew exactly how he felt. With that thing finally gone... well, they'd _known_ that going back to their original timeline wasn't a possibility, but he hadn't realized how much hope had still lingered until the machine that had enabled the whole mess had finally been consigned to Warehouse 13. He supposed they'd never know, now, what Kevin had been thinking when he'd turned it on; all they could do was live with the world he had given them.

And on that note. "Hey, Henry," he announced himself, walking into the garage.

Henry looked up from his perusal of the stained concrete, blinking in surprise. "Hey, Jack," he replied.

Jack crossed the floor to join him, absently fingering the tools on the nearest workbench as he worked up his nerve. He didn't exactly want to have this conversation, any more than he was looking forward to the inevitable discussion with Allison about Grant, but he supposed it was time. And at least _here_ he wouldn't have to defend himself for disliking a guy who'd intended to strand him sixty years back in time, never mind how clever or charming he'd proved to be in the present. "There's something I've been meaning to talk with you about. You got a minute?"

A wrinkle of puzzlement formed between Henry's brows. "Sure. What's up?"

"It's kind of...." Jack trailed off, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand, and decided to tackle the easier topic first. "I don't know if she's said anything to you, but Grace confronted me yesterday."

"What?" Henry's eyes widened in alarm. "What about?"

"She wanted to know if you were having an affair," Jack replied, then hastily held up his hands. "To which of course I said _no_, I couldn't tell her what was going on but you were _definitely_ not involved with someone else." The whole conversation had caught him off guard at first; but of _course_ she was Jack's friend, too. She'd had the right to ask.

Henry took a deep breath, then scrubbed a hand over his face, looking troubled. "I knew she'd noticed something was wrong-- how could she _not_\-- but I'd been hoping a good answer would come to me before I worried her too much. I can't exactly tell her what you told Zoë, and excuses of being busy are only going to hold her for so long. Especially since...." He smiled, sadly. "Now that I'm getting to know Grace, I'm pretty sure the man that married her had the right idea. I just don't know if it's fair to _her_ to let her go on believing that I _am_ that man."

Jack hadn't been able to do the same, in Henry's position. Then again, the stakes in his relationship with Tess hadn't been as heavy-- and he really wanted to see Henry happy. Grace seemed like the perfect person to do that for him, if he would let her.

"You are," he told his friend, reaching out to give Henry's shoulder a quick, companionable squeeze. "Everyone else is basically the same person-- deep down-- as they were in our timeline. Right? So it stands to reason we can grant ourselves the same leeway. Whoever we were here, we can't have been _too_ different, or we'd never have got away with faking it this long. We just don't have the same memories they did. Think of it like...." He paused; this was touching on the _other_ issue he needed to address; maybe that's why the analogy sprang so quickly to mind. "Think of it like selective amnesia. Same people, different experiences. You just need to rebuild your common ground."

Henry sighed. "Easier said than done."

"I know." Jack paused, then continued, hesitantly. "And while we're on the subject-- there's something else I've been sitting on for awhile, since before our Founder's Day detour, that I think we need to clear the air about. Especially given the way consequences keep cropping up from that-- I want to make sure you're sharing _all_ the possible concerns with me."

Henry went very still at that, and his expression suddenly grew very guarded. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Jack's stomach soured at his friend's reaction. "Don't give me that," he said, firming his jaw. "You know exactly what I mean, and you've been avoiding the subject for more than two years now. I won't be put off any more, Henry."

Henry studied his face carefully, then nodded, slowly. "How much have you put together?" he asked, cautiously.

"Not much, really. I just remember you, holding that flashy-thing-- the memory device. Feeling like I'd lost something _huge_. And given how badly you went off the rails for a while there...."

Henry opened his mouth to object.

"Not that I blame you!" Jack hastened to say, then clarified. "...Much. I eventually realized it must've had something to do with Kim's death, and the Artifact, considering how all that fell out. I wasn't even sure anything _had_ happened for _months_. But the thing is...."

He took a breath, then hurried through the rest of the reason he'd brought it up. "The thing is, you avoided talking to me about it even when there were clear opportunities, even we _swore_ not to keep any more secrets from each other, even when it hurt us both. I'm afraid if we don't talk about it now, it'll just end up causing more problems. You _are_ my best friend, Henry, and we're going to need each other now even more than we did in the old timeline."

"Even knowing that I've erased part of your memory?" Henry asked quietly.

"_Especially_ knowing that I must have _asked_ for it," Jack admitted. "Henry, I don't just remember looking at the device; I remember how I _felt_. I wasn't angry. Or fearful. Or anything I should have felt if you'd accosted me with it like Anderson. Just-- sad. Regretful. Guilty. And worried-- about _you_. You were supposed to use it, too, weren't you?"

Henry turned away. "Yes. Yes, I was. And I-- didn't. I couldn't let it go."

Jack frowned, wanting desperately to ask-- and chiding himself for the umpteenth time that he should trust his own judgment. "Would I be better off if I _did_ remember?" he temporized.

Henry looked pained. "I'm... not sure. It was... four years, Jack. We each experienced four years of alternate timelines that no one else remembered, which played out very differently than the one we've lived in since." He grimaced. "Than _either_ of the ones we've lived in since."

Four _years?_ Jack boggled a little at that revelation. He'd been expecting _something_ along those lines, but... four _years?_

Allison's name was his first thought; but it was followed very closely by '_Kim_,' and he realized immediately that whatever happened must have been one of the major differences between his Henry and the one who'd married Grace. It made a painful degree of sense, not only regarding the events of the year after Kim's loss, but also some of the comments Henry had been dropping recently. If four years' worth of changes could end in apparently soul-scarring disaster, were any of them safe after _sixty-three_?

He swallowed, and mustered an answer. "I figured it must have been... something like that. And considering the details are even less relevant now than they were then... I won't ask. I'll trust you to tell me when something might be important." There was still no sense tying himself in knots over what might have been's or what could be's; he'd made that decision already, when he'd let Tess go.

Henry looked about as conflicted as Jack felt. "You're not-- upset?"

Jack snorted. And now for the trickiest part of the whole thing; the part that had taken him the longest to deal with. "Of course I was upset-- at first. I trusted you-- I always have-- and you were keeping something _huge_ from me. You wouldn't even admit there _was_ a secret. But I've had a while to adjust to the idea. Only one thing still bothers me-- that I don't know what I did to hurt _you_. I can't either defend myself or apologize for it, and it took you so long to get over your anger that I figure it must have been pretty dire."

Henry started at that; then smiled, ruefully. "You're a lot more observant than you let on, Jack. And-- it wasn't anything you could have _not_ done, and still be you. No matter how much I felt like blaming you for what happened, I knew I wasn't being rational, and I didn't want _you_ to suffer for having to clean up after a disaster of _my_ making. You're my best friend, too, you know."

Jack let out a slow breath of relief at that. Forget last night's conversation with Jo; _this_ was as close as he ever wanted to get to actual 'girl talk'. "Thanks, Henry," he said, awkwardly clearing his throat.

"No problem," Henry said, then returned Jack's shoulder clasp, briefly. "Thank _you_\-- for coming to me about this, and for telling me about Grace."

"Yeah-- keep me posted on that, all right?" Jack said, pulling his phone from his pocket as it beeped with a new message: some kind of traffic problem in town. "I think she'll be good for you; I hope you work something out."

"So do I," Henry smiled, more genuinely now. "And-- I'm sorry things aren't going as well with Allison."

Jack sighed, thinking of Grant again. "Yeah. It just never seems to be the right time for us-- not in this lifetime, anyway."

"Wait and see," Henry said, sympathetically.

"Yeah." Jack shook the dark thoughts off as he turned to go.

It was Eureka, after all. Anything could happen.

\---


	6. Dreaming of Softer Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _If only her business was even half as interesting as the rest of the town's seemed to be these days_.  
> -Jo POV, for 4.06 "Momstrosity".

Jo had checked off all but two of Eureka's Level 6 AIs on her list; she'd been assigned to look in on them to verify that there were no fresh problems after Zane's reprogramming, and had decided to end that little exercise in futility with a convenient stop at Café Diem. She wasn't sure how she would have known even if there _had_ been something wrong, given how the problem had started. Seriously, who in their right minds had thought giving even the littlest, cutest robot in the world an attachment subroutine capable of bypassing or ignoring safety protocols, and then handing it out to a class full of _teenagers_, was a good idea? They were lucky Kevin's was the only one that had gone off script.

One had been plenty disaster enough. Why S.A.R.A.H. hadn't just copied her _own_ emotional subroutines for Andy, rather than the EMO's programming, Jo had no idea. Even if she hadn't known the code could go viral, shouldn't she have known better than to apply something meant for a nonsentient cuddle robot to a decision-making entity _that carried a gun_ without testing it first? Then again, the automated habitat _had_ nearly torn the town apart with gravity anomalies in her efforts to crush the perceived intruder back when he'd been intended as Jack's replacement, so....

Jo sighed and rubbed at her temples, slouching a little in her chair. She eyed the list again, then decided she really _didn't_ want to know and checked off both S.A.R.A.H. and Andy, sight unseen. She'd leave that conversation to Jack. It was _his_ house and _his_ deputy having an affair with each other. She was just the temporary houseguest; and besides, S.A.R.A.H. routinely circumvented any attempts to sanitize or security-check her system anyway, probably a hold-over from her original war-coding as first W.O.P.R. and then B.R.A.D. She'd listen to Jack before she'd ever even consider following Jo's orders, Chief of Security for the company that had built her or no.

Did Vincent ever have those kinds of problems with _his_ AI? She frowned pensively at her cup, then took a cautious sip, checking to make sure it really _was_ the two percent milk with whip cream latte she'd ordered and not the non-fat, Splenda infused blend Virtual Vincent had tried to foist on everyone the day before. She savored the taste a moment, then eyed the man at the counter again; she'd never have known he'd asked for a double to be constructed after his waitress went off to college if the latest disaster had never happened. His design was very, very good.

Vincent was fairly discreet about his dating habits, but she knew he wasn't a monk. Had his partner ever been curious about how fully functional the duplicate might be? Even as she formed the thought, though, she blushed, remembering Callister, and immediately wiped the speculation from her mind. What went on in Vincent's bedroom was _his_ business, Virtual or otherwise.

If only _her_ business was even half as interesting as the rest of the town's seemed to be these days. Or even half as interesting as café gossip seemed to _think_ it was. Her life would be a lot easier in some ways if she hadn't filed Jack in the "older brother" box almost as soon as she'd got over him replacing a man she'd looked up to _and_ taking the job she'd set her heart on, all at once. Moving in with him after Larry had destroyed her house had been easy and comforting, like moving in with family, nothing at all like the last conversation she'd had with _her_ Zane.

She wasn't sure she _wanted_ to know what the other Jo's relationship with Jack had been like, given how lurid the current whispered speculations were. There'd been a considerable gap between Zane's arrival in town and when Tess had shown up, after all, and if she hadn't been busy trading barbs with Zane.... Imagining _that_ possibility was a lot like contemplating a long-term relationship with Taggart, though: territory best left unexplored.

Which left her... exactly where she'd been since Founder's Day: stuck in emotional limbo. There were times when she saw her Zane in this timeline's immature scientist who'd never learned to handle responsibility; but there were times when it was like he was a complete stranger, too. It wasn't fair to _either_ of them the way her emotions were tangled up around him-- but there was nothing she could do about it.

Jo couldn't send him away, like Jack had Tess; or take herself any further away from him, as current Mayoral gossip said about Henry and his wife. And she couldn't just _stop_ feeling, either.

The only way out was through. She'd just have to suck it up and continue to deal.

\---


	7. What's Done Is Done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Jo lifted her gun and took aim at the next target, emptying the clip with precise, methodical accuracy._  
> -Jo POV, for 4.07 "Stoned"

Jo swiped a hand under the rims of her protective eyewear, rubbing away the suspicious blurriness clouding her vision. She was not going to cry _again_, damn it. She was Chief of Security at Global Dynamics; she was a former Deputy Sheriff; and she'd been an Army Ranger. She was the only person in the world currently certified to handle every one of the weapons produced by the most dangerous small town in America. She was stronger than this; she was _more_ than just half of an uprooted relationship, no matter how much of her heart had gone into it.

She lifted her gun and took aim at the next target, emptying the clip with precise, methodical accuracy. Rinse, reload, repeat; she'd been at the public range for half an hour already, and she didn't think she'd be stopping any time soon. Eventually, she figured the familiar repetition would calm her down; it hadn't yet, but it was either that or get drunk at Carter's, and she _really_ didn't feel like being around him while he was still on Cloud Nine about _finally_ getting somewhere with Allison.

She frowned. Four years for two kisses; she'd have decked any man who made _her_ wait that long for a confirmation of his feelings. And who knew, maybe she had; maybe _that_ was why Josefina Lupo had still been single in this timeline, while not-her-Zane had been busy HoloSkyping with impressionable college students.

Jo swore under her breath and emptied another clip. Yeah, and that was the other reason she didn't want to be at Carter's place right now.

She knew she wasn't being fair. Of course Zane wouldn't have shut himself up like a monk without Jo to pursue, and of _course_ Zoe wouldn't see his attention as a betrayal of a friend. He _was_ funny, smart, and hot; and the thing that had made Jo drag her feet at first in the other timeline-- his criminal record, and the untrustworthiness it had initially represented to her-- would have been absolutely no barrier to former Felon Spice Zoe Carter. Jo had no reason in the world to be jealous; this Zane never had been hers, and didn't seem at all inclined to think he ever would be.

No. And why would he? She'd apparently never given him any kind of encouragement until it was actually _her_ giving the encouragement, by which time it had already been too late. Everything could change in a blink, as she'd told Zoe; it had just been a bigger blink than she had thought.

It wasn't like she could warn Zoe away from him, either, not after all the encouraging things she'd said when she hadn't known who the "older guy" was. Jo lowered the gun and closed her eyes, freeing a hand to rest over the engagement ring on its chain, and willed the image of them touching in the infirmary away. What if it was more than infatuation, as Carter protested? They'd looked pretty cozy. If they'd talked about more than just her studies and his projects….

Jo opened her eyes again and frowned at the shredded targets. Now there was something to consider. Had they put their heads together about the strange things going on lately? Had Zoe told him about her dad's weird behavior when he'd visited her at Harvard? Had Zane laughed with her over Jo's "joke" about marriage on Founders' Day?

She winced, but logically continued the line of thought. Would Zane mention the Dr. Grant problem-- including Jo's evasive comments? Leaving _any_ version of Zane with only half a puzzle was just begging him to try and solve it, and she certainly wouldn't underestimate Zoe's intelligence.

Maybe she'd subconsciously been counting on that, when she'd completely failed to give a coherent response to his suspicions. Maybe she'd been _hoping_ to have an excuse to spill the secret without breaking her word to the others....

...Maybe she still was.

She sighed and wiped sweat away from her forehead. Well, what was done was done. She could hardly do anything about it now, except what she was already doing.

Jo called up the next target, then raised her gun and began again.

\---


	8. We Lie Loudest When We Lie to Ourselves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _If the torch he'd carried for so long wasn't the unresolved issue bothering him most, Jack wasn't sure he wanted to find out what **was**._  
> -Jack POV, for 4.08 "The Ex-Files"

"'I'm head over heels in love with you'," a familiar, irritating voice broke through the tranquility of Jack's half-waking thoughts. "You couldn't come up with anything better than that?"

Jack yelped, then blinked his eyes open and froze. He had hoped his confession to Allison would be enough to satisfy the therapeutic requirements of the device that had affected them, but apparently not, as the presence of a naked Stark stretched out on the other side of Allison proved. But if the torch he'd carried for so long wasn't the unresolved issue bothering him most, he wasn't sure he wanted to find out what _was_.

Allison murmured and stirred slightly, then quieted again, snuggling against him. Jack let himself relax, then turned his attention away from Stark's ghost, drinking in the sight of her: the glorious curves of her body, the softness of her skin against his, and the slight, joyous smile on her lips that _he_ had put there at last.

Okay. Whatever he had to suffer for this? Totally worth it.

Jack glanced back toward his hallucinatory guest and jerked his chin toward the doorway. Then eased himself cautiously out of Allison's embrace, one deliberate movement at a time. With any luck, he'd be back before she woke, but even if he wasn't, he was going to remember her this way forever. She looked so content lying there, pleased with herself and all the world around her; and it felt so very right to him, more than any other relationship he'd had since Abby. He didn't know why, but it felt like they had been there before-- as though they were coming back together after a long and unexpected separation. He'd decided to take that as a positive sign.

Stark was waiting on him when he trudged out of the bedroom. Jack had thrown on a pair of sleep pants, but nothing else-- and the apparition had adopted the same outfit. He frowned at that, but complaining of modesty at that point would be a little ridiculous, so he padded toward the bathroom without commenting on it.

"S.A.R.A.H.? Recorders off, and initiate sound-proofing until I come out again," he ordered the house's AI as he shut the door behind him.

"Of course, Sheriff," she answered, easily. "Though I must say I'm a little surprised at the necessity, considering Dr. Blake's extended presence in your bedroom."

He could feel himself blushing at what that implied, and threw a preemptive quelling glance in Stark's direction. "Don't say it."

Stark smirked, eyeing Jack's body up and down. "If you say so," he said. "But I reserve the right to revisit the comment later. It's too good an opportunity to waste."

"If there _is_ a later," Jack objected. "Which is kind of why I brought you down here."

Stark's expression grew more serious at that, and he nodded. "Allison basically said she was afraid you'd die on her-- and _you_ told her you'd been in love with her since the day you met. Not exactly equal concerns, are they? Not to mention the blatant exaggeration."

Jack scowled at him as he leaned back against the sink. He wasn't going to sit down in front of Stark, imaginary or not; _especially_ not the make-believe version, because that would mean he was taking a subordinate position to Allie's ex-husband in his own mind, and that was just-- no.

"Maybe a _little_ exaggerated," he replied. "But not by much. I _have_ been attracted to her since the day we met, and I've wanted to be with her pretty much ever since."

"Pretty much?" Stark repeated, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows skeptically.

Jack swallowed. "Well," he admitted. "For a while there, I thought things would work out with Tess-- until she went to Australia and decided a long-distance relationship wasn't enough for her. And there was Callie-- but she let my job get in the way. And, okay, okay; so _that_ wasn't always-- nightmare material." He gestured vaguely in the direction of Stark's bare chest. He'd never have said as much to the real Stark, but lying to himself would be counterproductive under the circumstances, and there _was_ a certain commonality to be found in his interactions with Tess, Stark, and Abby. "But none of those lasted. None of my relationships ever last; either my job gets in the way, or their job, or...." He gestured toward Stark again, wordlessly.

"They die. Like Angela Fairfield," Stark said, tactfully avoiding the subject of his own demise.

Jack winced. "Yeah. One way or another, everyone I've ever loved, or had the potential to love, has left me. So I guess..." He took a ragged breath as the truth revealed itself to him. "I'm scared that I'm not going to be _enough_ for Allison-- not quick enough, smart enough, considerate enough, whatever-- and she's going to leave me, just like everyone else has."

"You're afraid of how it'll end. Just like Allie."

"Yeah." Jack blew out a breath; that was the crux of it. "But not scared enough to miss out on us, any more than she is."

Stark let that sink in a moment, then grinned approvingly. "Atta boy," he said, then faded into sparkles of light: one last trick of Jack's subconscious.

"Could've done without that, though," Jack sighed, rolling his eyes.

Then he swiped the door open again and headed upstairs to his future.

\---


	9. A Blessing In Each Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _How many second chances did one man really deserve in a lifetime?_  
> -Jack POV, for 4.09 "I'll Be Seeing You"

How many second chances did one man really deserve in a lifetime? Jack couldn't even begin to guess at the answer to that question; but whatever it was, he was absolutely sure that he'd overdrawn his account that day-- and then some.

He traced a hand gently over the contours of Allison's side, skimming under the t-shirt she'd borrowed for nightwear, and watched the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. It had been hours since the mild painkiller she'd taken for soreness had eased her into sleep, but he hadn't yet been able to relax enough to join her; he'd just lain there, other hand propped under his ear, and absorbed her living presence. He could have lost her in the crash that afternoon--_had_ lost her, for an infinitesimal yet immeasurable stretch of time-- and it was only thanks to his ridiculous timing in crashing the plans of _Beverly Barlowe_, of all people, that Allison hadn't ended the day in the morgue at G.D. instead of in his bedroom.

Well, and a _little_ thanks to Grant, too, he admitted grudgingly.

What a mess. The cleanup from the day's events was only partially complete-- and would have to remain a little sketchy in the DOD's records, since it would be impossible to explain exactly what the shady group of scientists had wanted with the Bridge device and the other stolen thingamajig without getting into the story of their _own_ time displacement. He hoped that didn't rouse even more suspicion-- but he supposed they'd just have to cross that bridge when they came to it.

It was almost, _almost_, enough to make him nostalgic for his days with the Fugitive Retrieval Task Force. No crazy scientists threatening the stability of the timeline. No former felons dating his daughter and breaking the heart of the woman he'd come to think of as a sister. No wrecking his car _every other week_, just about, due to some spectacular example of technology gone wrong. No robots dating his house, or putting out newborn suns, or letting someone remote control him through weird magnetic disturbances, or any one of the other bizarre life-endangering things he'd seen and done over the last four years.

But only _almost_; because this town had brought him so many wonders, too. Friends close enough to call family; family closer than they'd ever been before; triumphs and joys enough to balance out the disasters; and-- this. Her. Allison.

She might not be the love of his youth; but he was pretty sure she was going to be the love of the rest of his life. Which had almost, that day, been a _very_ short amount of time.

She was worth it, though. And if there was one thing Eureka had taught him, it was how to make the most of second chances.

He leaned over to gently press his lips against her shoulder, then settled back against the pillow, letting the sounds of her breathing coax him down into dream.

\---


	10. Ho Ho Home Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Everyone deserved a dash of magic and mystery in their lives._  
> -Jack POV, for 4.10 "O Little Town" (the holiday special)

Jack smiled to himself as the kids he'd been talking to got up and left the café, much cheerier after the chocolate and the Christmas story he'd told them.

He'd had a lot of fun making up that particular tale. He'd taken a mishmash of events from both old and new timelines to give it that authentic flavor, added some character detail to showcase the softer side of the adults running the town, then mixed in a sprinkling of pop culture moments for the entertainment factor: it had come out pretty well for something created on the fly, in his opinion. He was particularly proud of the Indiana Jones moment he'd given himself with the oversized Christmas ornament, not to mention the dueling Secret Santa threads. Jo really was a secret softy under the action figure attitude, and the actual Santa in disguise had been calculated to tickle that universal childhood sense of wonder.

Even in a zealously scientific town like Eureka, where children were probably able to logic out the impossibility of circumnavigating the globe in a sleigh while they were still taking naps every afternoon, they deserved a dash of magic and mystery in their lives. Everyone did, really; and Taggart's Santology lab had been the perfect vector for it. He really _had_ run one up at G.D. for awhile, until he'd made the mistake of catching Stark in his Santa nets one day.

Actually, pretty much everything Jack had told the kids really _could_ have happened as he'd told it... except probably some of the technical details, which he'd fudged up for plot's sake. One-eleven IQ, et cetera. But the holiday flavored mishaps and coincidences and his own frustrated flailing had practically written themselves once he'd got going, like one of the stories he wasn't supposed to know Zoe helped S.A.R.A.H. write about the monster show with the brothers in the Impala. And they'd eaten it up with a spoon, whatever they'd said about it giving them cavities; he'd seen the rapt looks on their faces.

He sat there a moment longer, daydreaming as he finished his own cup of chocolate, and imagined how the evening in his story-world might have ended. Then he shook his head and got up, eager to explore the ending the real world held for him.

A very merry Christmas to all-- but especially his friends and family right there in Eureka.

\---


	11. Baby, The Skies'll Be Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _It had felt good, being the director of G.D. again, even if only for a day._  
> -Allison POV, for 4.11 "Liftoff"

It _had_ felt good; Allison wouldn't lie to herself. Being the director of G.D. again, even if only for a day. Fargo was really starting to grow into the position, enough that she had begun to relax and enjoy the reduction in stress and the extra time available to spend with her loved ones. Still, there had been days when she'd missed having that level of control, not to mention the opportunity to utilize more of her personal and professional strengths than her medical degree.

One thing she hadn't missed, though? The increased potential for conflict between her official role in Eureka and her lover's.

Would she and Jack have ever have taken that plunge in the other world, given the circumstances? Both of them had been burned by the wavering line between work and private lives before. They'd learned from past experience the downfalls of letting a relationship affect their behavior on the job, and vice versa-- but they were only human, and their track records were against them. Fortunately, the altered timeline had put them in a position of working together more than against each other, building a foundation that could weather the inevitable conflicts.

Today had been a good example of that. It would take some time to renegotiate boundaries in this new arena, naturally. But rather than take offense at their first clash of wills since they'd started sleeping together, Jack had actually come to her to try and talk it out afterward-- and rather than lash back, she'd been calm enough to both explain what had upset her and draw a line for him.

Just because they had certain privileges in each other's lives now, they didn't have the right to simply _assume_ they could speak for each other, especially in professional situations. Especially when lives were at risk. That was why she wanted to maintain the distinction between 'Jack' and 'Carter', actually; to keep one name for their private lives, and use the other for work. She wouldn't ask him to do the same thing-- but it would make things easier if he respected her cues.

She was pretty sure he would, once he got used to it. He wasn't perfect, but then again neither was she, and in her admittedly biased opinion they complemented each other rather well. They were like puzzle pieces who'd spent the last four years slowly changing shape until they clicked in place precisely... so all they had to do was put some effort into changing _together_ from there on out.

The honeymoon phase might be over, but that didn't mean the next stage had to be any less passionate or fulfilling. Nathan had taught her that. So had Henry and Grace, as she'd watched them falter over impossible obstacles only to bind together stronger than any other couple she knew.

Her life with Jack might never be simple-- but they were Eurekans. Complicated was their way of life.

They'd figure it out. Together. Just like they always did.

\---


	12. Where The Streets Have No Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _He wouldn't put it past the crazy geniuses he policed to find a way to make **any** lyrics dangerous if they put their minds to it._  
> -Jack POV, for 4.12 "Reprise"

"What? You're kidding me," Jack said, as Fargo filled him in on the identity and song choice of one of the last affected residents.

"Nope. Didn't you know she was a U2 fan? For shame, Sheriff," Fargo replied, with a little chuckle. Then he cleared his throat. "Um, gotta go; Deputy Andy's calling in again."

"Thanks, Fargo." Jack rolled his eyes as he ended the call. Seriously, for all Fargo had matured since he'd landed in the hot seat at G.D., he could be such a little kid sometimes.

It was hard to hold it against him this time, though, considering that for once no one had died as a result of the scientific mishap of the week. They hadn't even lost any valuable assets, except for Jo's house; G.D. had come out of their encounter with Dr. Marten several billion dollars richer.

Now they just had to make sure that the casualty count _stayed_ at zero. They'd tried to track down those who might be influenced by the neurolinguistic programming to act out on dangerous lyrics first, but there were a lot of music fans in town, and Jack wouldn't put it past the crazy geniuses he policed to find a way to make _any_ lyrics dangerous if they put their minds to it. Thankfully, most of them had stuck to fairly literal transferences of song titles or choruses so far, so he didn't think he had to worry about walls collapsing or things burning down in this case.

He looked up at the signpost of the nearest intersection to test his theory. Yep; it looked like she _had_ gone for the obvious interpretation. Now he just had to figure out how to track her down. She'd be able to find fodder for her new crusade practically anywhere within the town grid.

Though, if he had to guess... Jack turned in the street, scanning the buildings around him until he had a good idea of where he stood relative to the dry cleaners. If he were the song-fueled scientist with a yen for street signs, and that was his starting point... he spun around again, heading for the next street over.

Two streets up and several blocks further down, he finally spotted his quarry perched atop a painter's ladder. A black nylon backpack had been propped at the base of the ladder, partially unzipped; several strips of green-painted metal were visible inside, and judging by the way she was wielding her high-tech multi-tool thingy another was about to join them.

"Hey, Callie," he called cautiously, not exactly eager to startle her given her uncertain footing.

"Oh, hey, Jack," she called back, throwing a distracted smile over her shoulder.

"Got something against Coriolis Loop?" he asked, gesturing up at the sign.

"Oh, just the usual," she said with a casual shrug.

"And that would be...?"

She sighed, turning back toward him to gesture with the tool. "You know," she said. "It's not Coriolis Loop _per se_, it's the whole concept of what a street sign signifies. Where you live in this town says a lot about how much power you have at G.D., have you noticed? It's just like anywhere else. Street names are just one more sign of the arbitrary divisions that negatively distinguish us from our neighbors, and Eureka is supposed to be about _advancing_ the human condition, not carrying old faults forward. If I'm going to live in the present, I want it to be a present I can _live_ with, you know?"

Callie's voice grew more and more passionate as she spoke, and Jack smiled a little, reminded of why he'd tried to date her, once upon a time. There hadn't been enough spark there to overcome his feelings for Allison, but that had been his fault, not hers. "Yeah, I get that," he told her. "But it is kind of illegal, and I'd rather not have to arrest you for theft of traffic signage."

"I'm not _stealing_ them. I'm liberating the residents from the artificial social framework enforced by their addresses!" she exclaimed, finally wrenching the plate loose.

"If you say so," Jack soothed her. "I'd still prefer if you could liberate yourself from that ladder, at least. You're not supposed to put your weight on the topmost step, you know."

"Going to arrest me for that, too, Sheriff?" Callie laughed brightly. But she did take one step down, and then another, until she was on the ground, stooping to slide the pilfered sign into the backpack with the others.

"Nah... just going to ask you to listen to something a little less catchy than your usual playlist," he told her, approaching with a specially programmed iPod in hand.

She blinked at him, a line of puzzlement forming between her brows, but paused in the middle of folding up her ladder enough to accept one of the earbuds he offered. "If you say so," she said gamely, inserting it into an ear as Jack started up the counter-NLP track for her.

She blinked again, then slowly widened her eyes as she listened, staring down at the backpack at her feet. "Oh," she finally said, a little blankly. "Um. Gee, this is awkward."

"S'okay," he offered reassuringly. "It happened to a lot of people today. Well, not the sign thing; but the acting out on things they'd never normally do. Though I wouldn't turn down an offer to, say, make it up to the town with a little community service?" He gestured toward the multi-tool still in her hand.

She blushed. "Yeah, I'll just... get right on that. Thanks, Jack."

"Just doing my job," he told her, shrugging.

"Yeah." Callie's smile slipped a little as she turned and busied herself with the ladder again.

Yeah. Speaking of awkward.

Time to call Fargo with the success... and head for Café Diem and Jenna. It was still Jack's day off, and Allison would be home soon. It wouldn't hurt anything to let Andy take care of the rest.

\---


	13. Good Old-Fashioned Insight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Maybe Zane was right, and the undeniable spark between them was enough of a foundation._  
> -Jo POV, for 4.13 "Glimpse"

"Jack?" Jo called as she came down the stairs, dressed for an evening out. She hadn't heard him leave to go over to Allison's, and if he was staying in that night it was only polite to keep him posted that she wouldn't be. With all three of the house's residents involved in adult relationships at the moment-- if you counted the artificially sentient house herself-- they all generally tried to be respectful of each other's space and privacy. Well, Jo and Jack tried; S.A.R.A.H. was a law unto herself most days.

"Down here," he called back from the living room, over the faint sounds of sports on the TV. "You headed for Zane's?"

He sounded pretty dispirited; Jo frowned at that and turned toward the living room rather than beelining straight for the door. She and Jack had become a lot closer in the new timeline, mostly as a result of the fact that he'd taken her in both times her house had been destroyed and they weren't competing for competency in the sheriff's office anymore. She thought of him as kind of an irritating but lovable extra brother these days, and had been thrilled to see him happy after he'd finally worked things out with Allison. She hoped they weren't fighting over the mission to Titan.

"Yeah; don't wait up," she replied lightly, sneaking up behind him on the couch. It looked as though he'd unbuttoned his uniform shirt, but hadn't changed, and she could smell beer; but the source of the scent was a tall Pilsner glass, not a bowl of cereal, so things weren't as bad as they might have been. "You watching last night's game? Where's Kevin? Thought you were going to watch it with him."

Jack glanced up at her in surprise, then frowned a little, deepening lines already present between his brows. "Ah, well. Something came up," he shrugged.

Came up with who, Jo wondered; Kevin? Allison? Or Jack? "I'm sure there'll be other games," she offered commiseratingly.

"Yeah."

"So... is everything else all right?" she pushed, just a little. "You look a little... preoccupied." Whatever was up, it had to be more than just the game. Jack would see Kevin this week regardless, given how much time he spent with Allison and how much the kid looked up to him.

Jack started at that, eyes widening in feigned innocence. "Uh, yeah. Everything's fine. Why wouldn't it be? I'm just, you know, a little tired. Narrowly averting an apocalypse never gets any less stressful, no matter how many times it happens."

She smiled at him, faint but knowing. "Just checking," she said. Message conveyed: _I know you're lying, fess up already, it'll hurt less in the end._

"Ask me again after Zane's got the P.A.L.s back up if you don't believe me," he replied, summoning a creditable smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Message reply: _I know you know. But I'm not ready to talk yet. Let me sulk in peace until I've figured it out._

Yeah. Several months under the same roof? She knew him pretty damn well. But he was a big boy, and she was sure she'd find out eventually if the problem was anything important. "If you say so," she shrugged, then headed for the door again. "Enjoy your game!"

"Yeah, well, enjoy your-- uh, Zane," he called after her, a little awkwardly.

"Oh, I plan to," she purred, stepping through the door as S.A.R.A.H. opened it for her. She didn't need to look back to know what expression he'd be wearing at _that_ rejoinder, and the amusement buoyed her up the stairs and out to her car.

Maybe she'd been right all along, and she and Zane had no future together. But maybe _he_ was, and the undeniable spark between them was enough of a foundation. Yeah, that 88.03% Narcissitic Tendencies report those smart contacts had given her was a concern. But who knew, maybe that number had started out at 100%--maybe he'd started to grow up already, the way the other Zane had done over his time in Eureka.

Jo knew exactly how futile it was to expect anybody to change their spots just because you wanted them to. But maybe... Zane just needed sufficient motivation to want to change his spots on his own. Stark had been a mentoring factor back home... but maybe this one had too, and without her as another anchor this Zane just backslid after Stark's death. Zoe was great, but she was still discovering her own course in life; she wasn't in a place to be anyone else's pillar of strength. Whatever Zane had seen in Zoe, it had to have been more for ego's sake than anything else.

He was different, with Jo. Always had been. And apparently always would be. Whatever the shift had done to Jack's relationships, not to mention Henry's, it hadn't changed anything about the potential between Zane and Jo.

She pictured telling the other Zane that she'd left him for himself, and suppressed a snort. Narcissistic tendencies: if he even believed her, he'd probably crow that it was proof he was the only man who could possibly make her happy. And maybe... he would even be right.

The only way to find out would be to let go and... find out.

She pulled up in front of his place with a hopeful smile.

\---


	14. Equations of Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _To hear Fargo tell it, she and the other Zane had been doing the age-old dance almost since the moment he'd set foot in Eureka._  
> -Zane POV, for 4.14 "Up in the Air"

_They skipped past this part?_ Zane thought as he lingered with Jo over a Vinspresso and a light slate full of orbital dynamics equations. _What kind of a moron was I?_

Well, not _too_ much of one, if he'd been wise to the challenge that was Jo Lupo from the beginning. To hear Fargo tell it, she and the other Zane had been doing the age-old dance almost since the moment he'd set foot in Eureka. And clearly, there'd been more to it than just _physical_ oscillations, if he-- the other him-- had actually offered her his grandmother's ring.

But seriously, it was no wonder that almost the first thing this Jo had said to him-- when she'd still thought he was the other Zane-- was that she'd been _thinking too much_ about his proposal. And that she'd spent the first six weeks of their new relationship convinced that they didn't work; that the only reason to indulge was to work the _spark_ out of their systems. Clearly, the other him had _not_ been holding up his end of the bargain.

When you had a woman like Ms. Right Stuff on your arm? One whose _job_ was to help save the day from 'geniuses' like him when they did things like, oh, design a computer that could potentially blow up the town, or accidentally launch themselves and their bosses into space? You didn't let her walk around thinking she _wasn't smart enough_ to interact with outside of banter or the bedroom.

So he was a felon. So she was a grunt with a gun. So what? They were so much more than that-- and he would prove it to her. _Before_ he offered her the ring again.

He smiled to himself, buoyed by his new goal. _Astraeus, here we come._

\---


	15. Some Things Stay the Same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"So... you're not really my dad? You just took over my dad's life?" Zoe said, staring at him in horror._  
> -Jack POV, for 4.15 "Omega Girls"

"So... you're not really my dad? You just took over my dad's life?" Zoe said, staring at him in horror. "And how is that any different from what Beverly just did to Allison?"

"What? Sweetie, no, it's not like that at all," Jack replied, hurriedly. He'd known his daughter wouldn't exactly be _pleased_ to find out about his little detour to 1947, but he'd been hoping more for understanding than hostility. "It's not like there's _another_ Jack Carter buried in the back of my brain somewhere. I'm still your father. I'm still _me_. I just... remember things a little differently than you do, that's all."

She crossed her arms over her jacket, her expression still deeply skeptical. "So... you're saying it's more like you have amnesia, or something."

"Yes! Yes, exactly. And it's not even like there are all that many differences. For me. Except, you know. Tess. And Jo not being my deputy."

Zoe snorted, not yielding an inch. "Allison's much better for you anyway. And as for Jo. This? _This_ is why she slept with Zane?"

Jack winced. "I try not to think about it too much. But, yeah. I don't know if she told you, but he asked her to marry him just before all this happened."

"But he isn't her Zane!" Zoe threw up her hands. "He was _my_ Zane. I get why she has feelings for him. I forgave her; I even feel sorry for her, now. That would really have to suck. But it doesn't actually make what she did any better. She'd never dated _this_ Zane, so it's not like she had an actual claim, and she _knew_ how much I liked him. So why'd she have to go and sleep with him?"

Jack sighed, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Remember, this is Zane we're talking about. And Jo. She dropped a lot of clues without meaning to, and you know what he's like with a puzzle. By the time Fargo gave him the final piece...." He shrugged.

Zoe turned her face away, working her jaw in an effort not to say something he wouldn't appreciate. "So it's not completely her fault. But _still_."

Ah, youth. Still the center of her own world. Now that reaction was more what he'd been expecting. "Why'd Grace choose to stay with Henry? Especially after she found out the truth? The heart's... not as easy to predict as a scientific experiment, Zoe," he said, tiredly. "I won't say I approve of what Jo did. But I understand. He was someone she really, deeply cared about. And then suddenly the relationship they'd built vanished out from under her. That kind of thing can leave a person floundering."

Zoe had been listening to his little speech with arms crossed again and a defiant set to her chin, but the moment he finished speaking, she gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God," she said. "That's-- when you came up for that visit. _This_ is what that was about. You were making sure I was still the daughter you remembered and not in jail or living with Mom or something."

"My bright, beautiful pre-med student daughter," Jack smiled lopsidedly at her. "Still the same Zoe. Maybe it really was destiny that led us to this town."

"And I thought you were the same old Jack," Zoe replied, still distressed. "But you weren't. Aren't. Why didn't I notice sooner? You knew something was wrong with Allison from the start, but I just thought you were having an attack of the Dads when you suddenly got the urge to share. Or maybe that you were sick, or something."

"And you were right; I _was_ having an 'attack of the Dads'," he hastened to reassure her. "Look, I know this is-- weird for you. But it doesn't have to change anything. You don't even have to tell Jo I told you. I just thought you deserved to know the truth. Even if it turned out there _were_ significant differences between you and the Zoe I remember, I wouldn't care for you any less. I'll _always_ be proud of you, no matter what happens."

"Even if, I don't know, I ran away from college tomorrow and started stealing again?" she asked dryly, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth for the first time since he'd mentioned the time shift.

"Even if," he said, solemnly. "I'm sure you'd have a very good reason."

She snorted, then wrapped one arm around him in a sidewise hug. "I really hate this town sometimes, you know. I mean, it's home now, and I'll never regret our coming to live here. But I almost lost you today. Not even for the first time. And I can fight medical issues, but something like an Einstein-Rosen Bridge? One day you're just going to be _gone_, and I won't be able to do anything about it."

"That could happen anywhere, though," he told her, slinging his own arm around her shoulders as they walked. "You know that. I can't change my job. But I promise I will always, _always_ do my best to come back to you."

"...And Allison," she added after a pause, elbowing him.

"And Allison," he added, ruefully. "You're still okay with that, right?"

"Please," she said. "Like we haven't all seen that coming for _years_. Uh. It has been years, right?"

"Right. That hasn't changed," he chuckled.

"Good."

"We're good, then?" he tentatively asked as they finally exited G.D.

"We're good." Zoe smiled wryly at him. "There better not be any other huge secrets you're keeping from me, though. This is your one freebie this year, you hear me?"

"I hear you." Jack grinned back at her, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Zo."

"I love you, too, Dad. Enough with the mushy stuff, though. I'm a college student, remember? You're tarnishing my independent image."

"I remember." He rolled his eyes at her. "Now, c'mon. Let's go home."

\---


	16. Conquering Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _This was one of the highlights, for Jack, of sharing a house with his former deputy._  
> -Jack POV, for 4.16 "Of Mites and Men"

"I am never going to wear a suit again," Jack groaned, slumping back on the coach and rubbing at his throat. Hours after the mites' construction efforts had trapped his tie in a brand-new wall on level Q and nearly strangled him, he could still feel the imprint it had left in his skin.

"Poor thing," Jo said with absolutely no sympathy in her voice as she followed him into the bunker. "I have to wear a suit _every day_ in this timeline, you know."

Wisely, Jack did not air the first rebuttal that came to mind: _Yeah, but you're a girl. Allison wears more torturous things than that every day of the week. _

He chose a more innocuous comment instead: "So I already know how the stress testing phase of your day went. How did the early morning commando abduction part go?" He'd known it was coming, since there was no way the trainers would have got by S.A.R.A.H.'s security without either prior authorized notice or an override password from Fargo, and Fargo was likewise involved in the testing. Jack had made _sure_ to set an alarm so as to witness the rare phenomenon that was Jo Lupo, Completely Off Her Game, the moment he'd been informed.

"Cute PJs, by the way," he grinned at her. "The plaid was a nice touch."

She gave him a dirty look. "So I should repeat that to Allison, then? Give her a little advice the next time she shops for lingerie?"

"Aw, Jo," he not quite apologized, never losing the grin. This was one of the highlights, for him, of sharing a house with his former deputy: the sibling-style ribbing and support that had never quite clicked into place between him and Lexi. "C'mon. How'd you do?"

Her severe look melted into a smug smile as she crossed into the kitchen, reaching for the drink S.A.R.A.H. had already poured for her. "I have it on good authority I looked even cuter doing the happy dance," she said lightly.

"That good?" Jack was thrilled for her. If only one of Eureka's non-scientific personnel went to Titan, he knew she would make the most of the opportunity. "Jo, that's great!"

"I got a _92_," she grinned back at him, joy suffusing her features for a brief moment. Then she grimaced, expression fading to a frown. "Well, I assume I did, anyway. Zane hinted he'd hacked in and changed it during the stress test; I could have _killed_ him for that, but he took it back later when he told us he'd been messing with us on Senator Wen's orders."

She left unspoken the possibility that he'd been lying the second time, not the first, but the faint hint of doubt was audible. Jack rolled his eyes. "Given my interactions with Senator Wen today? I'd believe that before I'd ever believe Zane would tell you he'd hacked your test scores," he replied, wryly.

"Just that he'd tell me? Not that he'd do it?" Jo raised an eyebrow at him.

"I've learned the hard way not to put anything past _anyone_ in this town," he said, raising both eyebrows back. "But if he did it? He'd have done it to make sure you got on the _Astraeus_ mission. And actually admitting that in public would _definitely_ be counterproductive. They'd retest you at best, if they didn't just kick you out of the program automatically, _and_ he'd have wiped out any goodwill he might have been accumulating with Wen. _And_ you."

Her skeptical look faded into a thoughtful frown. "...You know, you're probably right. Huh."

"Not the most law-abiding citizen ever, but you can trust him with some things," Jack said.

"Yeah," Jo said, returning to the living room and plopping down in a chair across from him with a distant expression. "Well, we'll see, won't we."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he asked, frowning at the lack of enthusiasm in her tone. He'd thought she'd got over most of her doubts about Zane-- both in their old timeline, and in the new one. She'd stopped trying to pretend it was a simply a repeated one night stand a while ago, and she'd even looked, dare he say it, _happy_ again lately. He would never have done his best to buffer Zoe away from their burgeoning relationship if it had been otherwise.

Jo blinked back into focus with a visible effort and waved him off. "Oh, nothing important. I just. Oh, I don't know. The worst part of the day for me? Wasn't being trapped down there with a bunch of poorly socialized geeks folding cranes and trying to fend off death _yet again_. It was... that it only took him a couple of words and a knowing look to make me _completely_ doubt myself."

Jack didn't think they were talking about her grade anymore, exactly, and winced, feeling a pang of sympathetic guilt. He hadn't realized he was acting so-- patronizing, he guessed would be the word-- regarding Allison's recovery until his girlfriend had called him on it.

"Speaking as a guy who sometimes-- okay, frequently-- puts his foot in his mouth, he probably didn't _mean_ to hurt you," he offered.

Not much got by Jo: she blinked, then made a show of glancing around the living room again. "Yeah... Where _is_ Allison, anyway? I wanted to congratulate her on her reinstatement."

"At home, wrapping up a few loose ends before the kids return. And... enjoying some time alone. Apparently," he drew the word out comically, "I have a tendency to dote."

"_No_," Jo clasped a hand to her breast in mock surprise.

He chuckled at her theatrics. "Oh, go on with you: leave me to sulk and ponder the errors of my ways in peace."

"Aye aye, Sheriff," she smirked, then rose to her feet and headed upstairs.

_The course of true love never did run smooth_, Jack thought, watching her go.

Ah, well. Allison-- and Zane-- would still be there tomorrow. Right?

\---


	17. Subtracting Himself From the Equation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _He wanted to hear her say it. Out loud. At least once._  
> -Zane POV, for 4.17 "Clash of the Titans"

Zane had heard about the judgment leveled on Carter and Dr. Blake's 'intimate alliance'. Who hadn't? The only universal constant that had never been challenged in Eureka was the speed of its gossip.

Especially when it was about something as controversial as Warren Hughes' recommendation. Seriously? The REMFs at the DOD had never even batted an eye when it was _Stark_ she was involved with, and _their_ professional and emotional entanglements had been obvious to anyone in Eureka with a pair of working eyes. Or ears. There was some kind of ulterior motive there, even if it was just petty one-upmanship on the relationship auditor's part rather than some grand scheme of Beverly Barlowe's shadowy organization.

It kind of put the games he'd been playing with Jo into perspective. He _hadn't_ just been dallying with her because he was trapped in Eureka, whatever she seemed to think. Besides, he would have to be a _moron_ to turn down the _Astraeus_ mission after all the effort he'd put into earning Wen's thumbs up in the first place. Taunting Jo with his newly expanded range of opportunities, when it clearly made her uncomfortable, wasn't exactly kind. The thing was--

He wanted to hear her say it. Out loud. At least once. He wanted her to admit that she _didn't_ want him to leave... and that she didn't want _him_ to want to leave, either. That she hadn't just been fucking the ghost of the other Zane in his body all along, the way he suspected she'd been doing before Fargo spilled the beans and changed the stakes. He didn't like being made to feel like a cheap substitute, even for another version of his naturally superior self. He'd been pretty hopeful about a positive outcome at first-- proving to her that they were _both_ better than her fears painted-- but his optimism had started to sour of late.

He knew he'd succeeded with _her_... at first. But as far as proving his own individual value? Nevermind that he'd virtually stopped calling her 'Jo-jo' the minute Fargo let drop that it was the other Zane's favored nickname, and started exploring endearments like 'cupcake' instead. Nevermind all the coaching he'd done to get her past the physics tests. Nevermind that he'd thought he'd proven he _could_ stay a course when he chose to with the _Astraeus_ preparations. One obnoxious performance in the testing lab, and it was as if she'd totally reset her opinion of him back to its base, suspicious level, including every action he'd taken to show off her _own_ intelligence.

Granted, he might have deserved that kind of doubt at the beginning... and it hadn't been _that_ long since he'd tried this 'turning over a new leaf' thing on for size. And granted, he'd been really enjoying 'dessert' rather than retread the boring 'meat and potatoes' ground he'd assumed the other Zane must've covered before offering his grandmother's ring. But _still_. She wouldn't even ask him to stay! He found her lack of faith... disturbing. Pun not even intended.

His attempts to verbally prod her fellow temporal refugees hadn't been very helpful, either. Fargo was the only one who'd spilled details, and while he might not be _quite_ as pathetic in the romantic department as Zane had previously assumed, he wasn't impartial, either.

Well, it was clear the 'repeatedly saying goodbye' technique wasn't going to magically clarify _his_ 'intimate alliance', or even make Jo admit they were in an 'alliance' at all. He was going to have to rethink things.

...Maybe including a few of his own expectations along the way.

\---


	18. A Little Embarrassment Is Good For The Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Jack felt like he was wandering Eureka with a redder face than usual for the next couple of days_.  
> -Jack POV, for 4.18 "This One Time at Space Camp"

They'd managed to limit the news of exactly what happened to Dr. Hughes to a relatively small circle of people. Still, Jack felt like he was wandering Eureka with a redder face than usual for the next couple of days.

Well, when not with Allison. As much as he hadn't planned on following that stupid non-approval ruling in the first place, it was a huge relief not to have to worry any more about who was reporting to whom and the kind of damage a censure from the DoD could do to her career. There might have been a little celebration involved; S.A.R.A.H.'s privacy protocols certainly got a workout that evening. Hard to feel embarrassment when he couldn't stop smiling for joy.

Still. Grace was too good to do more than smile knowingly, Allison was too happy to tease him much, and Vince and Jo only had pieces of the story, but Henry? Every damn thing Dr. Hughes had done had been an amplification of one of Jack's memories, reenacted with all the usual filters stripped away. He'd been projecting the same things Jack had felt, turned up to eleven-- not just wearing Jack's literal sleeves, but wearing his heart on them, too-- and Henry _knew_ it. It was like that dream he'd had where he'd walked naked through Eureka... only to find out the next morning that half the town had dreamed it, too.

If Henry would just stop _grinning_ every damn time he caught Jack's eye! Jack didn't have near the ammunition lately to fire back in turn. They'd spent a lot less time hanging out since they'd both kicked the single bachelor lifestyle. Maybe it was time to schedule a guy's night to balance things out again.

Though knowing Eureka? That would end up backfiring somehow, too.

\---


	19. Love Bytes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _As absolutely bizarre as it still seemed for his android deputy to be dating his smart house, Jack had to admit, they made an adorable couple.  
> -Jack POV, for 4.19 "One Small Step"_

Jack couldn't help but smile as Andy walked out of S.A.R.A.H.'s core room the morning after the guano/Titan disaster. He was wearing those robot pajamas again-- robots, really?-- and that ridiculously cheerful grin of his, but somehow, it seemed a lot less, well, ridiculous, after everything that had happened.

As absolutely bizarre as it still seemed for his _android deputy_ to be dating his _smart house_, Jack had to admit, they made an adorable couple. More functional than some of his relationships, too, and hell, most of Jo's since he'd come to Eureka; he didn't think he'd realized, not until each of them had begged him to convey their dying love to the other, just how real they actually _were_. And not just their emotions: their identities. They were unique, and more than just novel pieces of technology-- they were individual _people_, as irreplaceable as any of his other friends.

He supposed it made him kind of a jerk that it had taken him so long to realize that. He'd always liked them-- after the obligatory rocky introductions-- but he'd always felt just that little bit of instinctive distance, a difficulty in seeing past their artificial origins. He'd seen the effects Callister's 'death' had had on Stark, and even sympathized; but he hadn't really understood, not until he'd seen Andy's freezing face and listened to the frightened tones in S.A.R.A.H.'s fading voice.

He was glad he'd been able to _do_ something about solving the problem, even if it was only using a communications trick he was sure Henry would have remembered eventually-- they'd done pretty much the same thing that time Henry had been in prison and they'd needed him in Lab 27. Jack _still_ didn't get how he'd been able to actually see from the hologram's perspective, much less in realtime on _Titan_, but... well, he wasn't going to break his brain over it. He'd been able to use it to save his deputy, who'd nearly sacrificed himself on Jack's behalf; that was what mattered.

So how could he even try to keep the lovebirds apart anymore? S.A.R.A.H. was her own house, not his. And if that meant Casa Carter's resident quota had gone up by yet one more-- or, hopefully, four? Ah, he could deal. Though he just knew his daughter was going to gasp, and coo, and laugh wildly when he informed her about the latest developments.

\---


	20. Bends in the Undergrowth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Jack stares after Jo, a terrible sinking feeling in his gut._  
> -Jack POV, for 4.20 "One Giant Leap"

_"I'll be seeing you, Carter."_

Jack stares after Jo, a terrible sinking feeling in his gut. It's been a rollercoaster of a day already between the Secret Service incident, the black holes, the impending Astraeus launch, and Allison _finally_ agreeing to move in with him, but that? He's pretty sure the tracks have just dropped out from under him.

It's stupid, really. He has no reason to believe this'll be the last time he ever lays eyes on her. He's grown closer to Jo in the last couple of years than he's ever been to his actual sister; he'd meant it when he said he counted Jo as part of his family, and he believes _she_ meant it when she said she felt the same way. But-- he's been half expecting something to go catastrophically wrong all day, and after flirting with presidential assassination, gamma rays cooking Eureka, and Allison's ambivalence on the issue of living together... well. Jo's little farewell speech had sounded an awful lot like a couple of other goodbyes in recent memory more on the order of "have a good life" than "see you again soon":

_"I'll be seeing you, Sport."_

_"I'll see you around, Jack."_

He swallows, trying to reassure himself. Jo _has_ to return six months from now, at least. Zane will be back from Titan then, and whatever ultimate decision she makes, she'll have to at least fill him in on the outline. Otherwise, her sort-of-boyfriend will probably hack the globe looking for her, and either get his ass arrested again or turn up on her doorstep; she has to know that.

Okay. So whatever disaster is due to strike-- the way it always seems to, when a really big project is on the line-- it can't have anything to do with Jo. She's going to be fine. _Better_ than fine; she's smart both with people _and_ with books, which is more than he can claim.

And she isn't sacrificing herself to save the world. She isn't trying to disappear for the sake of the timeline. She isn't gadding off to a foreign country like Lexi did, taking his new nephews and brother-in-law with her. She's just... doing what Zoe's doing: stepping out of her comfort zone to strengthen herself. Right?

Jack shakes his head, then swallows down his sense of foreboding and heads for his backup Jeep to return to Global Dynamics.

\---


End file.
